Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-03-28
an icultural department.
ScIEHIIFlc AGRICuLTURs.
Speech of Gen Grout. of Vermont,
in Congress

Hatch Agricultural Experiment Station
Bill.
/ In the house of representatives, Feb
ruarv p. General Grout of Vermont made
an able speech in favor of house bill 2933,
/ to establish agricultural experiment sta
/ lions i'm connection with the agricultural
| colleges in the several states. He began
BY asking the clerk to read the joint reso-
| luton on the subject adopted by the legis-
| lature of Vermont at the last session, and
proceeded to say that this was the EXPIRES
/ sion CT people largely engaged in agri-
| culture, and whose hills are not so green
as they once were by reason of neglect,
! largely through lack of scientitice knowl-
edge, to return to the soil the requisite
| elements to support continual cropping.
I'm short" said he, 1.-THE time has come
in the history of Vermont farming when
if there is anything in agricultural chem
istrv the Vermont farmer needs the bene-
fit of it. The time has come when hap
hazard system of cropping and of fertil-
izing for the crop brings results altogeth
er too uncertain for successful husbandry.
And what is thus true of Vermont is
equally true of all New England and of
the Middle States also, and, in fact, of
the whole Atlantic seaboard, from Maine
TO the Gulf of Mexico. Not only this,
but il is rapidly becoming true of the
newer states throughout the great west
-Ia IF ho1
become a leading one, and involves not
only the inquiry of how most completely
to save the waste from the farm and
transfer it without loss of quality to the
soil, but how to supplement this home
made fertilizer with such commercial ele-
ments as may be necessary to produce in
perfection given crop; or perchance to
supply the particular ingredients in which
the soil may be wanting, and tit it for
production of all crops
The answer to this question depends
upon whether it is Understandings made
whether it is made with special reference
10 the necessities of the soil. 1t depends,
for instance, upon whether that soil re-
quire nitrogen, nitrate of sodium, potash,
phosphoric acid, or superphosphate of
Iime-my chemistry fails me to go through
the entire ist-and whether its wants are
supplied. Now. all this belongs to the
domain of agricultural chemistry.
But what does the average farmer
know of agricultural chemistry? Con
fessedly, nothing whatever; and as the
result he is proceeding at random, and
may be paying $50, perhaps $50 per ton
for fertilizer, when one costing One-half
or quarter as much would answer the
same purpose in producing a crop; for it
Is sometimes the case that the chemical
condition of the soil is such that it needs
only simple, inexpensive substance to
set free the wealth of plant food which it
already contains, but which is so locked
up by some other substance as to render
such soil unproductive until a chemical
change is produced by the union of these
substances. But to know all this one
must understand chemistry, must possess !
the expensive apparatus for chemical |
analysis, and must have command of
much time 10 bestow upon experimenting. |
But every one knows that these things !
are wholly out of the question with the |
average farmer. Every one knows he is |
without knowledge of chemistry and has |
neither money nor time for experiments
In his struggle to pay off the mortgage |
upon his farm and feed and clothe and |
educate his children he has all and fire. !
quently more than he can do.
Nevertheless, this information is essen !
tial to his success and how is he to ac- |
quire it? How, except from the agricul- |
tural experiment station, such as is pro-
vided by this bill. to which he may send |
samples of his soil for analysis and from
which ne may learn the relative value Of |
fertilizers and their adaptability to the |
wants Of his soil? The work of the ex-
pertinent station is educational in charac- !
ter, and upon every principle of sound
public policy entitled to the support of |
the state.
Talleyrand, prime minister under the /
great Napoleon, said:
Both education and agriculture ought II be a.
sisted b. government; and manufactures will /
come of thensrlVe>-
Now. while the American people, fol- |
lowing, in part, the formula of this noted |
French statesman, find themselves IA |
nous for plentiful lack of wit" they |
can not be said to have left manufactures /
10 themselves. Under a very liberal pro- !
.ctive tariff, consistently maintained for /
now more than a quarter of a century, the |
manufactures of this country long since |
left the day of small things The man |
ufacturers of goods from iron and brass /
and copper and cotton and wool, and of /
lumber and other staple articles are among /
he wealthiest citizens of the republic; /
while the labor employed in these manu-
features is well fed and well housed, AMI /
as a rule is contented and happy.
But the agriculture of this country does |
not share equally with our manufacturers
in the direct benefits of the tariff; and in |
this fact alone find ample justification |
for the passage Of this bill, which, it will |
be observed. does not grant direct pecu- /
MARY aid TO agriculture, but still materi- |
ally assists it by furnishing the necessary |
information whereby the farmer NAV the /
better act his part make fewer mistakes,
and suffer less imposition. especially in /
the purchase and application of CONNER
cial fertilizers
General Grout then proceeded to exam
inc the second section of the bill which /
provides for experiments in the physiolo- !
" of plants and animals, studies of rota- /
tive cropping. capacity Of plants and trees
for acclimation, analyses of soils water /
and natural and artificial manures. com 1
position and digestibility Of foods of ami /
mails. economic questions involved in the /
production Of butter and cheese. etc. He /
showed that section ) requires duplicates +
of reports 10 be furnished to the press, so I
that the whole public can have the bene-
ut OF those Of general interest. and he 4
contended that the appropriation of sl5.-
900 year to each state and territory for
these experiments was a proper use Of
money, for the entire public is interested